VCE

About the VCE

Under Part 2.5 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) (the Act), the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) has the task of developing, evaluating and approving courses normally undertaken in, or designed to be undertaken in, Years 11 and 12. The VCAA has approved the VCE as the qualification awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete their senior education studies at Years 11 and 12. It is the highest Victorian qualification delivered by schools, offering students a broad range of high-quality studies that provide them with diverse pathways for entry to further study, vocational training and employment.

The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA), the body responsible under the Act for the accreditation of courses and registration of qualifications, has assessed the VCE as meeting the requirements for accreditation under Part 4.4 of the Act and associated guidelines.

The rigorous accreditation process has found that the VCE:

• meets its stated purpose of equipping students with the skills, knowledge, values and capabilities to succeed in further study, employment, and personal and civic life
• meets national standards for a senior secondary curriculum as set by the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority
• meets national policy requirements for a senior secondary qualification set by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
• has a coherent structure and a robust assessment framework
• has parity of esteem with other national and international senior secondary qualifications.

Accreditation is for a period of not more than 5 years, after which a new application for accreditation must be submitted to the VRQA.

VCE programs

The VCE is a senior secondary certificate of education recognised within the AQF.

The VCE includes VCE curriculum components and programs from Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications and is designed to be completed over a minimum of 2 years.

Students have 2 enrolment program options when enrolling in the VCE:

• the VCE, which includes studies with school-based and external assessments that can provide a study score towards an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR)
• the VCE VM, a vocational and applied learning program which includes studies with school-based assessments that do not provide a study score towards an ATAR. VCE VM students can include other VCE studies and VET units as part of their VCE VM program, including Structured Workplace Learning Recognition for VET.

The VCE is available for delivery on 2 academic timetables:

• the Victorian academic timetable, delivered across a calendar year
• the Northern Hemisphere academic timetable, delivered from July to June for selected VCE studies only.

There is one examination period in each academic timetable. The General Achievement Test (GAT) is conducted at the same time for both academic timetables.

The VCE is normally completed over 2 years; however, students may accumulate units over any number of years. Most students will undertake 16–20 units over a period of 2 years.

Student programs may include some Units 1 and 2 studies in the second or final year or some Unit 3–4 sequences in the first year, or a combination of both. Adults returning to study and students who have received credit equivalent to a full Year 11 in another jurisdiction can complete their certificate in a single year.

Each VCE unit involves at least 50 hours of scheduled classroom instruction. Students also undertake up to 50 hours of self-directed learning for each unit.

All new schools intending to deliver the VCE must apply for permission from the VCAA.

Program components

VCE studies

Most VCE studies are designed to provide for a 2-year program of study. Units 1 to 4 are designed to a standard equivalent to the final 2 years of secondary education. All VCE studies are benchmarked against comparable national and international curriculum.

VCE VM studies

VCE VM studies contribute to a program that is designed to be completed over a minimum of 2 years. VCE VM studies are specific VCE applied learning studies that enable students to learn knowledge and skills in the context of ‘real life’ experiences. VCE VM studies can be tailored to the needs and interests of the student to enable them to focus on developing their skills and readiness for employment or further education and training. All VCE VM studies are benchmarked against comparable national and international curriculum.

Units 1 and 2 studies

Units 1 and 2 studies may be undertaken separately or as a pair. Schools may timetable Units 1 and 2 in a sequence that is suitable for their program. Students may enrol simultaneously in Units 1 and 2.

Units 3 and 4 studies

Units 3 and 4 of all studies (excluding VCE VM studies) must be undertaken as a sequence in the academic year. A student may not enrol in Unit 4 only.

Students enrolled in VCE studies (excluding VCE VM studies) must undertake Unit 3 before commencing Unit 4 of a study.

Students granted Interrupted Studies status are an exception to this rule.

Students enrolled in VCE VM can meet Units 3 and 4 sequence requirements by undertaking Units 3 and 4 VCE VM studies concurrently over a minimum of 2 semesters or over multiple years. To be eligible for award of the qualification they must complete the requisite number of units and sequences in order.

VCE VM flexible delivery options can be used to deliver units out of sequence or over an extended period. VCE VM flexible delivery options cannot be used to accelerate the completion of the VCE VM in less than 2 years. See Flexible delivery of the VCE VM for further information.

VET units

The VCE can include components of nationally recognised VET courses. These components can contribute towards the VCE through the following recognition arrangements:

• enrolment in a VCAA-approved VCE VET program, or a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship (SBAT)
• enrolment in any other nationally recognised course at Certificate II level or above (block credit recognition).

Entry to studies

There are no prerequisites for entry into Units 1, 2 and 3. VCE students may enter studies at Units 1, 2 or 3 levels. In some studies, before attempting Unit 3 students are recommended to complete either or both of Units 1 and 2, demonstrate equivalent experience or be willing to undertake some preparatory learning. The relevant advice is published in the study design for each study.

Specific eligibility requirements

There are specific eligibility requirements for enrolment in:

• Chinese Language, Culture and Society
• English as an Additional Language (EAL)
• VCE Second Language studies in Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese
• VCE VM studies.

For more information, visit Student enrolment section.

Eligibility for the award

Minimum requirements

VCE

The minimum VCE requirement is satisfactory completion of 16 units that must include:

• 3 units from the English group, including a Unit 3–4 sequence
• 3 Unit 3–4 sequences, which can include further sequences from the English group.

Note: VCE VM Literacy is only available to students enrolled in an eligible VCE VM program.

The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) ) advises that satisfactory completion of a scored Unit 3–4 sequence from the English group of studies (excluding VCE VM Literacy) is required to calculate a student’s ATAR.

Students undertaking atypical programs may have their previous studies or experience counted towards the award of the VCE.

For more information, see the Atypical programs section.

VCE VM

The minimum VCE VM requirement is satisfactory completion of 16 units that must include:

• 3 VCE VM Literacy units or 3 units from other English studies group (including a Unit 3–4 sequence)
• 2 VCE VM Numeracy or other units from the Mathematics studies group
• 2 VCE VM Work Related Skills units
• 2 VCE VM Personal Development Skills units
• 2 VET credits at Certificate II level or above (students may accrue 2 units of credit following the completion of units of competency [UoCs] to the total of 180 nominal hours drawn from multiple VET courses).

In addition to their Unit 3–4 sequence from the English group, students must complete a minimum of 3 other Unit 3–4 sequences as part of their program.

Students will receive the appellation of ‘Vocational Major’ on their VCE certificates upon satisfactorily completing the VCE VM program.

A VCE VM student will be awarded the VCE, without the VM appellation, if they meet the minimum requirements for satisfactory VCE completion, but not the minimum requirements for the satisfactory completion of the VCE VM appellation.

Satisfactory completion

To satisfactorily complete a VCE unit (including VCE VM units), students must demonstrate their achievement of the set of outcomes as specified in the study design. The decision about the satisfactory completion of outcomes is based on the teacher’s holistic judgement of the student’s overall performance in a combination of set work (learning activities) and assessment tasks (including school-based assessments) related to those outcomes. The decision to award an S for the unit must be distinct from the assessment of levels of achievement. For more information on satisfactory completion and how it differs from decisions regarding levels of student achievement, see the section on Satisfactory completion and levels of achievement.

Students must be provided with multiple opportunities across the learning program to develop and demonstrate the key knowledge and key skills required to achieve the outcomes of the unit. Judgements regarding satisfactory completion must not be made based on a single school-based assessment. The VCAA encourages teachers to use a range of measures other than numerical performance on assessment tasks when determining the result of an outcome.

A teacher’s judgement when determining the satisfactory completion of a VCE unit must be consistent for all students, including those who are completing the VCE without the calculation of a study score.

Students who complete VCE units with or without a study score are required to:

• be assessed for satisfactory completion
• participate in school-based assessment for levels of achievement, even if a score is not provided to the VCAA.

A student may be eligible for the award of the VCE if they have submitted a range of set work (learning activities) and assessment tasks (including school-based assessments) for satisfactory completion of units but have not been assessed for levels of achievement in the study and have not completed external assessments.

Students must consider the assessment requirements when making their enrolment selection, as not undertaking graded assessments for VCE studies (excluding VCE VM studies) may limit their pathway options. A student must be assessed for levels of achievement in 2 of the graded assessments per study to receive a study score. If graded assessments are not provided, the student will not receive a study score.

Special eligibility requirements

VCE Baccalaureate

The VCE Baccalaureate is an additional form of recognition for students who choose to undertake the demands of studying both higher level mathematics and a language in their VCE program of study.

To be eligible to receive the appellation of ‘VCE Baccalaureate’ on their VCE certificates, students must satisfactorily complete the VCE and receive a study score for each prescribed study component.

The VCE program of study must include:

• a Unit 3–4 sequence in English or Literature or English Language with a study score of 30 or above; or a Unit 3–4 sequence in EAL with a study score of 33 or above
• a Unit 3–4 sequence in either Mathematical Methods or Specialist Mathematics
• a Unit 3–4 sequence in a VCE Language
• at least 2 other Unit 3–4 sequences.

If a student previously completed their VCE and received a VCE certificate, they will not receive a subsequent VCE Baccalaureate certificate.

English requirement

The minimum requirement for English units is selected from:

• Bridging EAL Units 1 and 2
• Foundation English Units 1 and 2
• English Units 1–4
• EAL Units 1–4
• English Language Units 1–4
• Literature Units 1–4
• VCE VM Literacy Units 1–4 for students enrolled in an eligible VCE VM program only. (VCE VM Literacy does not generate a study score and cannot contribute towards the ATAR.)

English and EAL are equivalent studies so only one study at each unit level may be counted towards the award of the VCE.

Further units from the English group may contribute to the requirement for additional Unit 3–4 sequences. A student’s English results are calculated first to determine if they have met the minimum requirements for the award of the VCE. Once a student has met the English requirement by completing an English sequence, any additional sequences from the English studies group will be credited towards the minimum requirement for completion of at least 3 additional Unit 3–4 sequences.

Adult students and students with credit from interstate or overseas study can use their previous studies to satisfy the English requirement.

The following table provides examples of how the English requirement will apply in 2025 for students who are not adults and have no credit from interstate or overseas study.

Possible unit combinations from the English group

Equivalent studies

Some VCE studies consist of more than 4 units. There are no restrictions within these studies on the number or combinations of units that students may undertake. For example, in VCE Applied Computing, students may obtain credit for Units 3 and 4 of both Data Analytics and Software Development. To obtain credit for a sequence, students must satisfactorily complete both Units 3 and 4 from the one study.

There are restrictions on the number of equivalent units that can be credited towards satisfactory VCE completion. If a student undertakes a unit equivalent to one that they have already completed, only one of these units can count towards satisfying the minimum requirements for award of the VCE.

Schools must run a VCE or VCE VM student eligibility report on VASS and contact the Student Records and Results Unit if the report reveals any concerns.

The following deemed equivalences apply from 2025.

VCE Global Politics

VCE Politics (accreditation period – Units 1 and 2: 2024 and Units 3 and 4: 2025) has replaced the previous study of VCE Australian and Global Politics.

From 2025, students who have completed:

• both Units 3 and 4 of Australian Politics cannot count the VCE Politics Unit 3–4 sequence towards satisfactory VCE completion
• both Units 3 and 4 of Global Politics cannot count the VCE Politics Unit 3–4 sequence towards satisfactory VCE completion.

For all other equivalent studies before 2025, go to Equivalent Studies webpage.

Recognition of VCE VET programs in the VCE

VCE VET units contribute towards satisfactorily completing the VCE only if no significant duplication exists between a VCE VET program and VCE studies or other VCE VET programs. If there is significant duplication, students may enrol in the VCE VET program, VCE studies or other VCE VET programs identified; however, a reduced VCE VET unit entitlement will apply. Schools should refer to VCE VET program booklets for further information on the duplication between VCE VET programs and VCE studies or other VCE VET programs.

Duplication between VCE VET programs and other VET, including courses available through block credit recognition, will be considered when determining the amount and level of credit towards the VCE.

Recognition of Higher Education studies in the VCE

Higher Education studies (HES) are offered by higher education institutions and are designed for independent, high-achieving and interested VCE students.
Satisfactory completion of an approved HES within the VCE will contribute towards a student’s:

• satisfactory VCE completion, as a Unit 3–4 sequence without a study score
• ATAR calculation
• progression to the higher education’s second year of that study at the higher education institution.

The VCAA publishes the list of approved studies each year.

Schools are responsible for:

• advising a student that only one HES can be undertaken as part of their VCE program
• making sure the student has met the prerequisite or co-requisite requirements for their selected HES.

School principals must approve students’ participation in the program and certify that they meet the guidelines provided by the higher education institution. This may include completion of specific tests.

If students have completed the VCE prerequisite in a previous year for enrolment in the HES, they are required to complete at least one Unit 3–4 sequence towards the VCE in the same year in which they enrol in the HES. For enrolment in HES, students usually demonstrate high achievement across all studies and, if applicable, have a VCE study score of at least 40 in the prerequisite study.

Extension and advanced standing study

Two types of study – extension and advanced standing – are offered through the HES program. For more information, see Higher Education studies in the VCE.

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank increment

If a student successfully completes their approved HES and meets applicable prerequisite or co‑requisite conditions, the study can contribute to their ATAR as a fifth or sixth study. However, this is subject to the restrictions on combinations outlined in the Victorian Tertiary Entrance Requirements set by VTAC.

If a student withdraws from or fails to satisfactorily complete the VCE prerequisite or co‑requisite study requirement of the HES, they will not be eligible for a HES increment in their ATAR calculation, regardless of their HES performance.

Repeating VCE units

There are no restrictions on students repeating units. However, they may obtain credit only once for each unit. Students who repeat a unit must repeat the full unit, including all assessments for the outcomes specified for the unit, in the study design for the year of repetition. Students wanting to receive a study score when repeating VCE units must satisfactorily complete the Unit 3–4 sequence in the year of repetition.

Students enrolling in VCE VM with previous VCAL enrolment

Credit for VCAL units completed in or prior to 2023

Students who completed Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) (now discontinued) units in or before 2023 may be eligible for credit towards the VCE. For queries regarding student eligibility, please email Senior Secondary Reform Team.

Atypical programs

Students may vary the usual VCE program requirements if they:

• require additional support, by completing VCE units without the calculation of a study score
• are adult students returning to study
• have transferred from interstate or overseas
• have past results from a VCAL program
• are exchange students
• have previously been enrolled in the International Baccalaureate (IB).

Completion of VCE units without calculation of a study score

The VCE provides an option for individual students to complete units without being assessed for levels of achievement in some or all school-based and external assessments.

This option should only be applied in response to individual student need, and not as an alternative VCE program for a cohort of students. Examples of circumstances where it is appropriate to offer this option include the following:

• illness and/or absence
• mental health and wellbeing issues
• clear and well-supported post-school aspirations that do not require an ATAR, for example, an offer of an apprenticeship
• other specific and personal circumstances (not based on academic results).

Students who complete VCE units without a study score are still required to:

• be assessed for satisfactory completion
• participate in school-based assessment for levels of achievement, even if a score is not provided to the VCAA. However, the conditions under which the school-based assessment is to be completed may be varied.

Teachers must base their decision about satisfactory completion of units through holistic judgement of the student’s achievement of the outcomes. This decision is based on evidence gained through the student’s overall performance on assessment of a range of set work (learning activities) and assessment tasks (including school-based assessments) related to these outcomes and must be consistent for all students.

The VCAA observes that schools demonstrate best practice when they adopt a collaborative approach to determining student suitability. The VCAA expects schools to have a clear process, such as outlined in the relevant Guidance for schools, when considering an individual student’s suitability for completing VCE units without the calculation of a study score. This must include:

• Step 1: Using the checklist in the Guidance for schools support material to help with the decision-making process.
• Step 2: Obtaining informed written consent from the student and their parent(s) or legal guardian(s).
• Step 3: Providing ongoing support to the student through follow-up discussions and a review of their support needs.

When students, with support from parents or guardians, decide to complete a unit without a study score, it is important that schools communicate to all parties the greater number of pathways available when scored assessment is completed.

See also Special Provision.

Scored assessment

Schools are encouraged to support all students to undertake scored assessment, excluding students enrolled in the VCE VM, which does not include scored assessment. Scored assessment provides VCE students with a more detailed record of what they have achieved and is the best way to maximise their employment opportunities and transition to further education.

The VCE provides the flexibility to satisfactorily complete units without being assessed for levels of achievement in any or all graded assessments (2 graded assessment scores are required to achieve a study score).

Where students have valid reasons for not undertaking scored assessment, a school may advise them to undertake one or more VCE units without being assessed for levels of achievement or sitting external assessment.

Students must still meet all requirements for satisfactory completion of the unit, including undertaking any school-based assessments.

All graded assessment will be entered as NA (not assessed) on VASS. In this case, a study score will not be calculated.

Adult students returning to study

Students must meet 2 criteria to be enrolled as an adult:

• be at least 18 years of age on 1 January in the year of enrolment
• not have been enrolled in more than 7 units in the full year preceding the first year of enrolment as an adult.

Examples of application of the criteria for adult enrolment in the VCE

Adult students with no previous Year 12 results

To satisfy requirements for the award of the VCE, adult students with no previous Year 12 results must satisfactorily complete at least 8 units, including:

• a Unit 3–4 sequence from the English group
• at least 3 sequences of Unit 3–4 studies, which can include further sequences from the English group.

The following table provides examples of such a program.

Example of a VCE program for an adult student with no previous Year 12 results

VCE VM

To satisfy requirements for award of the VCE VM, adult students with no previous Year 12 results must satisfactorily complete at least 8 units, including:

• a Unit 3–4 sequence from the English group
• 2 Units from VCE VM Personal Development Skills
• 2 Units from VCE VM Work Related Skills
• at least 3 sequences of Unit 3–4 studies, which can include further sequences from the English group.

Adult students with credit for interstate or overseas studies or block credit recognition from VET training

For these students, at least 5 of the 8 units required for satisfactory completion must be VCE units or credit from nationally recognised VET training, of which 4 units must be at Units 3 and 4 levels.

Adult students claiming results before their current year enrolment

Students who wish to be eligible for award of the VCE using previous VCE, VCE (HSC), VCE (TOP) or VCE (T12) results must accumulate satisfactory results for 8 units, including a Unit 3–4 sequence from the English group, provided that all units are taken at Unit 3 and Unit 4 levels (Year 12). These students are exempt from all requirements for Unit 3–4 sequences, other than the English requirement.

Students who wish to be eligible for award of the VCE VM using previous VCE, VCE (HSC), VCE (TOP) or VCE (T12) results must accumulate satisfactory results for 8 units, provided that all units are taken at Unit 3 and Unit 4 levels (Year 12). These must include a Unit 3–4 sequence from the English group, and 2 Unit 3–4 sequences from the VCE VM studies, one of which must be either Personal Development Skills or Work Related Skills.

VET courses may also contribute units to award of the VCE.

Student transfer and credit from interstate studies

Credit is available at all unit levels for equivalent studies completed interstate. The requirements for obtaining credit for interstate studies are the same as the requirements for other VCE students, with the following exceptions:

• students who have credit granted at any level for studies undertaken interstate must satisfy the requirement for English, which is 3 units from the VCE English studies group, including a Unit 3–4 sequence
• at least 5 of the minimum 16 units required to complete the course must be VCE units or credit from a nationally recognised VET course, of which 4 must be at Units 3 and 4 levels
• the requirement for 3 other Unit 3–4 sequences may be met using credit granted at Units 3 and 4 levels.

Students must apply to the VCAA through the Victorian school at which they are enrolled using the form Application for credit towards the VCE and VPC. All applications for credit must be accompanied by principal-certified copies of and Statements of Results or certificates. Original documents must not be submitted. Credit will be granted only if students have completed the equivalent of a unit or a full year of study in one or more subjects. Partially completed subjects will not be considered for credit. Credit granted will appear on the student’s Statement of Results as a statement of granted credit. This statement will specify the number and level of units. However, it will not state the titles of studies or subjects, unless the study is in English. The VCAA can grant a maximum of 12 units of credit at Units 1–4 levels to each student.

At Units 1 and 2 levels, schools will recommend the amount of credit to be granted, based on an interstate school or authority transcript and the equivalent course guidelines. Credit recommended by the school will be entered on the application form. The student’s previous school reports and certificates should be attached. The VCAA will decide the amount of credit to be granted at Units 3 and 4 levels. The VCAA will record the credit granted and schools can view them on VASS.

Student transfer and credit from overseas studies

Credit from overseas studies is available at Units 1 and 2 levels only. Credit is not granted at Units 3 and 4 levels for studies undertaken overseas.

The requirements for satisfactory completion for students from overseas who have been granted credit for equivalent study undertaken at Units 1 and 2 levels will be the same as for continuing students.

Students must apply to the VCAA through the Victorian school at which they are enrolled, using the form Application for credit towards the VCE and VPC. All applications for credit must be accompanied by of principal-certified copies of Statements of Results or certificates. Original documents must not be submitted. All accompanying documentation must be in English or have been translated into English by a recognised authority. Credit will be granted only if students have completed the equivalent of a unit or a full year of study in one or more subjects. Partially completed subjects will not be considered for credit.

Credit granted will appear on the student’s Statement of Results as a statement of granted credit. This statement will specify the number and level of units. However, it will not state the titles of studies or subjects, except for English. The VCAA can grant up to 12 units of credit to each student. The VCAA decides the amount of credit to be granted. Details of the credit granted can be viewed on VASS.

Overseas students who have not completed Year 11

If a student from overseas wants to undertake Year 12 but has not completed the equivalent of Year 11, the principal can make a recommendation on the student’s readiness. The principal should request to see the student’s reports and other relevant documentation from overseas and, based on this, recommend the number of units of credit to be awarded at Units 1 and 2 levels, including those for English. The VCAA may accept this advice and grant up to 6 units of credit. A signed statement from the principal documenting the student’s circumstances should be sent to the VCAA with the credit application. This provision is primarily aimed at students who have suffered major disruption to their education.

Exchange students

Returned Victorian exchange students

Victorian students who have returned from exchange studies may apply to the VCAA to receive credit for study undertaken overseas. The procedure and level of credit available are identical to those for students from overseas. If students have undertaken a full Year 12 course of study overseas and have been awarded a formal qualification, they may apply to the VCAA for a Statement of Equivalent Qualification to the VCE.

Overseas exchange students

Overseas exchange students may only enrol in Unit 3, Units 3 and 4, or Unit 4. These students may complete some or all graded assessments and have their grades reported. However, a study score is calculated only if Units 3 and 4 are completed in the same academic year.

Credit from the International Baccalaureate

Students may transfer from the IB to the VCE. In general, students may not enrol in a mix of IB and VCE studies concurrently on the VCAA database. However, if a curriculum area cannot be studied as part of the IB, students may enrol in a single VCE study. In such cases, the school should write to the Student Records and Results Unit detailing the student’s:

• current curriculum program within the IB
• proposed enrolment in VCE study.

The correspondence must display the school letterhead and be signed by the principal. Following receipt, the Student Records and Results unit will assess the request and, if appropriate, enrol the student in the VCE study.

IB students enrolled in Year 11 may transfer from the IB to the VCE after completing 2 units of study. These students will be eligible for credit towards their VCE based on their IB results, provided they have not simultaneously undertaken any unapproved VCE units. Students transferring from an IB program in Year 11 to the VCE in Year 12 may receive credit towards the relevant number of VCE units at Units 1 and 2 levels and Units 3 and 4 levels based on IB results (including any Year 12 IB subjects) obtained in Year 11.

Credit will only be granted if students have completed the equivalent of a unit or a full year of study in one or more subjects. Partially completed subjects are not considered. Credit granted will appear on the student’s Statement of Results and will specify the number and level of VCE units but will not state the titles of studies or subjects except for English. The VCAA can grant each student a maximum of 12 units of credit at Units 1–4 levels.

Schools are required to provide the credit application form to the VCAA. This can be downloaded from VASS together with the IB semester reports. These reports must contain a numerical score. The scores are used to determine the amount of credit that can be calculated. The minimum credit score is between 3 and 7. Anything recorded below 3 does not meet satisfactory completion for VCE credit.

The VCAA decides the amount of credit to be granted. All applications for credit must be made on the form Application for credit towards the VCE and VPC and be accompanied by principal-certified copies of Statements of Results or certificates. Original documents must not be submitted. Credit granted will appear on the Statement of Results.

VCE on a Northern Hemisphere Timetable

The external assessment results for the Northern Hemisphere Timetable (NHT) academic year are subject to an equating process to ensure they compare with the results of the Victorian cohort assessed in the preceding calendar year. Key dates and other administrative requirements are available to permitted schools on VASS.

To satisfy VCE requirements for award of the VCE, students may accumulate units on both timetables, subject to the following requirements:

• Units 3 and 4 of a study must be undertaken as a sequence within the same academic timetable.
• Students cannot be enrolled in the same Unit 3–4 sequence in overlapping academic timetables.

Enrolment in, and completion of, a Unit 3–4 sequence cannot be extended over 18 months using the 2 academic timetables, unless interrupted studies applies (see the Students with interrupted studies section).

Students can enrol in the same study in the next academic timetable; however, they must undertake all graded assessments if they seek a study score.

The same study undertaken in both timetables has equivalent sequences. However, only one sequence may be counted towards the award of the VCE and only one study score will count towards the calculation of the ATAR.

The VCAA is committed to ensuring that all VCE students are treated fairly and equitably, whether they study for the November examination timetable or the June examination timetable. This is achieved by:

• developing June examinations that are compared with the previous November examinations to make sure they are of the same standard and difficulty
• wherever possible, using the same pool of VCE-qualified assessors to mark the June examinations as the previous November examinations
• having an additional equating process that ensures scores for the June examinations are equivalent to those from the previous November examinations.

Flexible delivery of VCE VM

Schools and providers may deliver VCE VM studies flexibly by:

• delivering a single VCE VM unit across more than one semester
• accepting midyear entries and delivering
• VCE VM Unit 1 in Semester 2, and Unit 2 in Semester 1 the following year
• VCE VM Unit 3 in Semester 2, and Unit 4 in Semester 1 the following year
• commencing delivery of a VCE VM unit during a semester and continuing in the next semester, including over multiple calendar years
• delivering Units 1 and 2, or Units 3 and 4, concurrently across 2 semesters.

Students may be eligible for midyear certification of their VCE VM program; however, flexible delivery options cannot be used to enable accelerated completion of the VCE VM in less than 2 years.

Read more information about flexible delivery of VCE VM studies.

VCE VM satisfactory completion requirements

Students can meet Unit 3–4 sequence requirements when studying the VCE VM flexibly by completing Units 3 and 4 of VCE VM studies concurrently over 2 semesters, or over multiple years, provided they complete the requisite number of units and sequences. For example, if a student completes Unit 3 Personal Development Skills across Semesters 1 and 2 (a full year) and then completes Unit 4 Personal Development Skills over 2 semesters in the following academic year, this would be considered a Unit 3–4 sequence.